Countries in Africa Ranked by Forest area share (2024)
Forest area share: each country's latest value (2019–2024), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Gabon ranks #1 with 91.4% of land area. Equatorial Guinea is second with 86.1% of land area, 6.2% behind. The top five are Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic and Liberia. The median across all 54 is 19.6% of land area; Egypt, Arab Rep. is last at 0.0041% of land area.
- #1
- Gabon · 91.4% of land area
- Median
- 19.6% of land area
- Coverage
- 54 countries in Africa
- Data year
- 2024
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Forest area share (% of land area) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabon | 91.4 |
| 2 | Equatorial Guinea | 86.1 |
| 3 | Guinea-Bissau | 74.8 |
| 4 | Central African Republic | 72.5 |
| 5 | Liberia | 66.1 |
| 6 | Congo, Rep. | 64 |
| 7 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 61.5 |
| 8 | Zambia | 60.5 |
| 9 | Seychelles | 58.5 |
| 10 | São Tomé and Principe | 57.6 |
| 11 | Angola | 51.2 |
| 12 | Tanzania | 49.6 |
| 13 | Senegal | 45 |
| 14 | Mozambique | 41.3 |
| 15 | Cameroon | 40.7 |
| 16 | Zimbabwe | 35.7 |
| 17 | Sierra Leone | 34 |
| 18 | Ghana | 30.9 |
| 19 | Benin | 28.1 |
| 20 | Botswana | 27.8 |
| 21 | Rwanda | 26.1 |
| 22 | Eswatini | 25.3 |
| 23 | Ethiopia | 23.8 |
| 24 | Togo | 22.5 |
| 25 | Malawi | 22 |
| 26 | Gambia, The | 21.3 |
| 27 | Guinea | 20 |
| 28 | Mauritius | 19.1 |
| 29 | Nigeria | 18.9 |
| 30 | South Africa | 18.8 |
| 31 | Comoros | 17.8 |
| 32 | Madagascar | 17.3 |
| 33 | Morocco | 12.8 |
| 34 | Cabo Verde | 12.5 |
| 35 | Burkina Faso | 12.3 |
| 36 | Côte d'Ivoire | 12.1 |
| 37 | Eritrea | 12 |
| 38 | Uganda | 11.9 |
| 39 | Sudan | 11.9 |
| 40 | South Sudan | 11.3 |
| 41 | Burundi | 10.9 |
| 42 | Namibia | 9.77 |
| 43 | Mali | 8.67 |
| 44 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 7.82 |
| 45 | Kenya | 6.63 |
| 46 | Tunisia | 4.44 |
| 47 | Chad | 2.97 |
| 48 | Lesotho | 1.14 |
| 49 | Mauritania | 0.986 |
| 50 | Niger | 0.837 |
| 51 | Algeria | 0.71 |
| 52 | Djibouti | 0.255 |
| 53 | Libya | 0.117 |
| 54 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 0.0041 |
About the top 10
#1 Gabon
Gabon ranks #1 on this list with 91.4% of land area.
- Capital
- Libreville
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.59 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.43 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,263 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 92.1% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in forest area share · #4 in renewable energy share · #6 in unemployment rate.
#2 Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea ranks #2 on this list with 86.1% of land area.
- Capital
- Ciudad de la Paz
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 1.94 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$12.82 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,615 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #7 in forest area share · #13 in male population share · #13 in industry value added share of gdp.
#3 Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau ranks #3 on this list with 74.8% of land area.
- Capital
- Bissau
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 2.25 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.53 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,124 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 46.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #5 in forest rents share of gdp · #7 in low-birthweight babies share.
#4 Central African Republic
Central African Republic ranks #4 on this list with 72.5% of land area.
- Capital
- Bangui
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 5.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.07 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$556.1 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in population ages 0-14 share · #1 in age dependency ratio · #1 in age dependency ratio (young).
#5 Liberia
Liberia ranks #5 on this list with 66.1% of land area.
- Capital
- Monrovia
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 5.73 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$5.25 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$915.3 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 56.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Monrovia.
Also ranks #2 in forest rents share of gdp · #3 in renewable energy share · #5 in infant mortality rate.
#6 Congo, Rep.
Congo, Rep. ranks #6 on this list with 64% of land area.
- Capital
- Brazzaville
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 6.48 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.31 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,515 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 64.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire.
Also ranks #3 in oil rents share of gdp · #4 in natural resource rents share of gdp · #7 in unemployment rate.
#7 Congo, Dem. Rep.
Congo, Dem. Rep. ranks #7 on this list with 61.5% of land area.
- Capital
- Kinshasa
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 112.83 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$91.03 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$806.8 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kinshasa, Mbuji-Mayi, Kananga.
Also ranks #1 in renewable energy share · #1 in poverty headcount ratio · #1 in mineral rents share of gdp.
#8 Zambia
Zambia ranks #8 on this list with 60.5% of land area.
- Capital
- Lusaka
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 21.91 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$28.88 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,318 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lusaka.
Also ranks #2 in mineral rents share of gdp · #3 in gini index · #4 in prevalence of undernourishment.
#9 Seychelles
Seychelles ranks #9 on this list with 58.5% of land area.
- Capital
- Victoria
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 122,730 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.39 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,449 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in protected terrestrial area share · #3 in physicians per 1,000 · #8 in male population share.
#10 São Tomé and Principe
São Tomé and Principe ranks #10 on this list with 57.6% of land area.
- Capital
- São Tomé
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 240,250 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$981.29 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,084 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 69.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #10 in services value added share of gdp · #16 in lending interest rate · #18 in prevalence of undernourishment.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Forest area share: each country's latest value (2019–2024), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator AG.LND.FRST.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Forest area (% of land area): FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.